I want to change from Linpus to either Mint or Ubuntu.

MTK358 · 09-11-2011, 08:35 PM

Then try "terminal" in that Run window.

glenellynboy · 09-11-2011, 08:35 PM

I tried konsole. It didn't paste. Typing random keys didn't register.

glenellynboy · 09-11-2011, 08:39 PM

I tried "terminal". Although typing random keys registered, the paste operation did nothing.

MTK358 · 09-11-2011, 09:32 PM

Other terminals can paste normally using the right-click menu.

Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V won't work in any terminal, though, since they already do other things there.

Wim Sturkenboom · 09-12-2011, 12:10 AM

I'm glad that you finally managed to get a terminal working. Don't worry about the copy-and-paste too much; it's basically to prevent typing errors (e.g. the different between '1' (one) and 'l' (lower case L) is often not clear).

Open the terminal that shows 'user@localhost:~'; that text is called the prompt. The '~' at the end indicates that you're in the user's home directory.

At the prompt, issue the mount command as show below

Code:

wim@ubuntu-desktop01:~$ mount
/dev/sda1 on / type ext4 (rw,errors=remount-ro)
proc on /proc type proc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
none on /sys type sysfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
none on /sys/fs/fuse/connections type fusectl (rw)
none on /sys/kernel/debug type debugfs (rw)
none on /sys/kernel/security type securityfs (rw)
none on /dev type devtmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
none on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,noexec,nosuid,gid=5,mode=0620)
none on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,nodev)
none on /var/run type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,mode=0755)
none on /var/lock type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
none on /lib/init/rw type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,mode=0755)
none on /var/lib/ureadahead/debugfs type debugfs (rw,relatime)
/dev/sda5 on /home type ext4 (rw)
binfmt_misc on /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc type binfmt_misc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
gvfs-fuse-daemon on /home/wim/.gvfs type fuse.gvfs-fuse-daemon (rw,nosuid,nodev,user=wim)
wim@ubuntu-desktop01:~$

What you see is not that important but you need to compare it with result of the next step to determine where your memory stick is mounted.

Insert your memory stick and run the mount command again (after some seconds)

Code:

wim@ubuntu-desktop01:~$ mount
/dev/sda1 on / type ext4 (rw,errors=remount-ro)
proc on /proc type proc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
none on /sys type sysfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
none on /sys/fs/fuse/connections type fusectl (rw)
none on /sys/kernel/debug type debugfs (rw)
none on /sys/kernel/security type securityfs (rw)
none on /dev type devtmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
none on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,noexec,nosuid,gid=5,mode=0620)
none on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,nodev)
none on /var/run type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,mode=0755)
none on /var/lock type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
none on /lib/init/rw type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,mode=0755)
none on /var/lib/ureadahead/debugfs type debugfs (rw,relatime)
/dev/sda5 on /home type ext4 (rw)
binfmt_misc on /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc type binfmt_misc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
gvfs-fuse-daemon on /home/wim/.gvfs type fuse.gvfs-fuse-daemon (rw,nosuid,nodev,user=wim)
/dev/sdb1 on /media/STORE N GO type vfat (rw,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=udisks,uid=1000,gid=1000,shortname=mixed,dmask=0077,utf8=1,flush)
wim@ubuntu-desktop01:~$

In this case the blue bold line was added. /dev/sdb1 is the memory stick and it is mounted on /media/STORE N GO (the so-called mount point); yours will probably also be '/dev/sdb1' but '/media/STORE N GO' will be different.

If you don't get anything here, let us know. We probably have to mount it manually.

Next we determine who you exactly are (the user name) and where

Code:

wim@ubuntu-desktop01:~$ id
uid=1000(wim) gid=1000(wim) groups=4(adm),20(dialout),24(cdrom),46(plugdev),105(lpadmin),119(admin),122(sambashare),1000(wim)
wim@ubuntu-desktop01:~$ pwd
/home/wim
wim@ubuntu-desktop01:~$

Yours will probably be 'user' (the user name) and '/home/user' (the home directory); if not, let us know

Next move up one directory using cd .. (cee dee dot dot)

Code:

wim@ubuntu-desktop01:~$ cd ..
wim@ubuntu-desktop01:/home

And next you're ready to copy using cp -r (cee pee minus ar)

Code:

wim@ubuntu-desktop01:/home$ cp -r wim/ /media/STORE\ N\ GO/
wim@ubuntu-desktop01:/home$

Replace 'wim' by the user name that you found earlier and replace '/media/STORE\ N\ GO/' by the mount point that you found earlier. 'cp' is the copy command, '-r' tells it to copy recursively (meaning going through all sub directories), 'wim' is the source directory and '/media/STORE\ N\ GO/' is the destination directory.

Copying might take a while; there will be no indication till it is finished. If you get errors/warnings, let us know the exact text (copy and paste from the terminal into your browser while posting)

If a file browser was opened after you inserted the memory stick, you will more than likely now see the copied home directory in there.

Now safely remove the memory stick and verify on another computer that everything that you want is there.

Obviously you can not use this memory stick to install the distro unless you first copy the data to another computer.

By the way, your system is a 32 bit system as far as I know. To be safe, download the 32 bit version of mint.

MTK358 · 09-12-2011, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wim Sturkenboom

I'm glad that you finally managed to get a terminal working. Don't worry about the copy-and-paste too much; it's basically to prevent typing errors (e.g. the different between '1' (one) and 'l' (lower case L) is often not clear).

First, he didn't get a terminal working, and second, how is he supposed to paste long command output here without copy and paste?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wim Sturkenboom

What you see is not that important but you need to compare it with result of the next step to determine where your memory stick is mounted.

Insert your memory stick and run the mount command again (after some seconds)

In this case the blue bold line was added. /dev/sdb1 is the memory stick and it is mounted on /media/STORE N GO (the so-called mount point); yours will probably also be '/dev/sdb1' but '/media/STORE N GO' will be different.

I haven't thought about the possibility of it auto-mounting. I haven't used any of the "normal" desktops in a really long time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wim Sturkenboom

Next we determine who you exactly are (the user name) and where

Code:

wim@ubuntu-desktop01:~$ id
uid=1000(wim) gid=1000(wim) groups=4(adm),20(dialout),24(cdrom),46(plugdev),105(lpadmin),119(admin),122(sambashare),1000(wim)
wim@ubuntu-desktop01:~$ pwd
/home/wim
wim@ubuntu-desktop01:~$

Yours will probably be 'user' (the user name) and '/home/user' (the home directory); if not, let us know

Next move up one directory using cd .. (cee dee dot dot)

Code:

wim@ubuntu-desktop01:~$ cd ..
wim@ubuntu-desktop01:/home

And next you're ready to copy using cp -r (cee pee minus ar)

Code:

wim@ubuntu-desktop01:/home$ cp -r wim/ /media/STORE\ N\ GO/
wim@ubuntu-desktop01:/home$

Or just run:

Code:

cp -r "$HOME" /media/name\ of\ your\ drive

in any directory. And you don't even need to manually find out your name and home directory. Also, the resson for the backslashes in front of the spaces is to keep the shell from interpreting them as separators. Another alternative is to wrap the path in quotes:

Code:

cp -r "$HOME" "/media/name of your drive"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wim Sturkenboom

By the way, your system is a 32 bit system as far as I know. To be safe, download the 32 bit version of mint.

Or run:

Code:

uname -m

to find out.

glenellynboy · 09-12-2011, 06:54 AM

I succeeded in copying from forum to xterm. I previously forgot that you move the cursor to the spot where you want to paste.

Here is the output after now pasting:

ls: cannot access /dev/sd: No such file or directory

It appeared after both pastes of "ls /dev/sd:

MTK358 · 09-12-2011, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glenellynboy

I succeeded in copying from forum to xterm. I previously forgot that you move the cursor to the spot where you want to paste.

Here is the output after now pasting:

ls: cannot access /dev/sd: No such file or directory

It appeared after both pastes of "ls /dev/sd:

I said "/dev/sd*", not "/dev/sd".

Also, before trying "ls /dev/sd*", try posting the output of the "mount" command before and after plugging in the drive, in case your system automatically mounts the drive.

Wim Sturkenboom · 09-12-2011, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTK358

First, he didn't get a terminal working, and second, how is he supposed to paste long command output here without copy and paste?

I think/thought he did get xterm working when he wrote 'user@localhost:$'. I admit that I forgot about pasting from his machine to the forum

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTK358

Or run:

Code:

uname -m

to find out.

OK, that returns i686 (on my Aspire One) so 32 bit.

glenellynboy · 09-12-2011, 09:41 AM

Using the text "/dev/sd*" I got this output, both times:

bash: /dev/sda: Permission denied

MTK358 · 09-12-2011, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glenellynboy

Using the text "/dev/sd*" I got this output, both times:

bash: /dev/sda: Permission denied

You entered "ls /dev/sd*", not "/dev/sd*", right?

Also, I told you to try "mount" before and after plugging it in and posting the output, and if that fails, then try "ls /dev/sd*".

glenellynboy · 09-12-2011, 10:26 AM

Entering "mount", before insertion, gives this output:

/dev/sda1 on / type ext2 (rw)
none on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)
none on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
none on /sys type sysfs (rw)
none on /mnt/home type aufs (rw,si=d659c180,xino=/home/user/.aufs.xino,create=mfs,dirs=/home/user=rw)

Then after insertion, entering "mount" again, produces this output:

/dev/sda1 on / type ext2 (rw)
none on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)
none on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
none on /sys type sysfs (rw)
none on /mnt/home type aufs (rw,si=d659c180,xino=/home/user/.aufs.xino,create=mfs,dirs=/home/user=rw)
/dev/sdb1 on /media/Lexar type vfat (rw,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=hal,utf8,shortname=winnt,uid=500)

Now, entering "ls /dev/sd*" before insertion, produces output of:

/dev/sda /dev/sda1 /dev/sda2 /dev/sda3 /dev/sda5 /dev/sda6 /dev/sda7

And entering "ls /dev/sd*" after insertion gets this output:

/dev/sda /dev/sda2 /dev/sda5 /dev/sda7 /dev/sdb1
/dev/sda1 /dev/sda3 /dev/sda6 /dev/sdb

MTK358 · 09-12-2011, 10:31 AM

Then try this:

Code:

cp -Riv "$HOME" /media/Lexar

And this is a drive other than the one you are going to use to install the new Linux distro with, right?

glenellynboy · 09-12-2011, 10:34 AM

I'm sorry, I lost the trail of instructions before the last couple posts. There was a lot in there, but some of it may be affected by the recent outputs. If I missed something, can you just give it to me again in a quote so you don't have to compose it again?

glenellynboy · 09-12-2011, 10:36 AM

Quote:

And this is a drive other than the one you are going to use to install the new Linux distro with, right?

Yes, it is different. It's the one I will be using to backup my data.